The work of Chén Yǒu-Fú 陳友福 has been featured extensively for many years on Taiwan Tea Crafts without a proper introduction. We are finally making amends to this void as we re-kindle our relationship with him at the same time his operations are slowly resurfacing from the downturn that affected all of Taiwan’s craftspeople during the pandemic. Like many handmade pottery studios, Mister Chen operates with assistants and apprentices to help out. The work remains strictly handcrafted as each pot is hand-turned, assembled and finished but will make use of molded handles, lid knobs, filters and spouts to ensure consistency and precision, just like it is done in the famous workshops of Yixing in China. The result is a pot of great beauty and precision with high tolerances in the fit of all its elements. The design of his pots finds inspiration in classic traditional shapes but definitely adapted to tea making practices in Taiwan. An added styling touch is often present in the choice of unique modern shapes in the lid knobs and some discreet detailing, like it is the case here with the unique conical-shaped knob. This 1oo ml pear-shaped pot is part of a small group of pots that we commissioned when he was mostly working alone just at the end of the pandemic. This popular shape is much appreciated for the making of ball-style rolled oolong teas. This shape which gently constricts towards the top helps extracts all the flavours as it keeps the leaves in contact with water as they steep. What we particularly like is his use of Japanese clays that all meet JAS standards of purity and tested to be free of heavy metals and contaminants. This fine grit clay makes dense pots with low porosity which makes them suitable for a wide range of teas, from highly fragrant to more complex refined ones. As an unglazed pot, we still recommend you dedicate the pot to a chosen style of tea. What we also like is his use of ball-shaped filters on all of his production. The shorter beak-style spout is set in the middle of the pot's bulge where the leaves are concentrated. We requested the diameter of the spout's tip to be wider for faster pour outs. A full volume of 1oo ml was timed at 9 seconds to empty itself. Finally, another characteristic of Chen’s work is the lustrous outer finish of his pots featuring a very finely textured surface that reflects light beautifully. Each pot is unique featuring a hand-engraved signature on the bottom and stamp on the inside of the lid and handle. What you see in the pictures is what you get. Handmade in Taiwan.